The Scent
by WeightlessWriter
Summary: Every mai has a scent, one that is undeniably their own. Just like every mai has a mate, blessed upon them by Baset. And Chloe is about to reconnect with hers.
1. Chapter 1

"Chloe, mating between the mai is very simple. Around adulthood, when a mai is ready to find a mate, they become hyper-aware of the scents of other mai. Baset blessed us with the gift to be able to find our mates by the scent," Jasmine answered passively. Chloe hadn't even asked her a question remotely related to the given answer, but apparently Jasmine felt she needed that answer.

"That's great Jazz, but that's not really the question I asked," Chloe responded, trying not to laugh.

"It's almost like following a scent trail, and it's almost impossible to ignore it - wait what? What did you ask me?"

"Jazz, I asked if you wanted buttered or unbuttered popcorn, not a mai history lesson," Chloe said, bursting with giggles. The girls began laughing at the absurdity of the conversation they had just had.

Chloe woke with a start. It had been 5 years since that moment in Jasmine's kitchen, and 3 since the fall of the order. Chloe had severed ties with most of the mai after the order was abolished. The final battle was gruesome, and Brian's betrayal in the event wasn't something Chloe liked to think about. Many lives were lost, including Valentina's, even members of the Sao Paulo pride. Even Chloe lost lives that fateful night. After she witnessed the cruelties of the Rezza family, Chloe couldn't face the other members of the pride because of her former relationship with Brian. Even Alek. Especially Alek.

Alek.

Alek had been there for her _every _time she needed him. No hesitations, no questions asked, he was there. And at the time she had been to blind to see that he loved her, and, even worse, that she loved him. But she could never face him now. Not after how her actions had cost so many lives. Maybe if she had wizened up sooner, Valentina would still be alive and Jasmine wouldn't have had to head the pride so soon.

Jasmine checked up on Chloe periodically, and Chloe let her because she knew Jasmine would blame herself if anything happened to her. Chloe knew she was an excellent leader and the Pride was flourishing under her rule, but she couldn't be part of a pride now. They probably hated her, even if they wouldn't admit it. She may be their "uniter," but those days were over.

Alek, on the other hand, checked up frequently, and Chloe always tried to avoid him. There was never any direct contact, and for that, Chloe was grateful, but every time she sensed his presence she tensed up. She couldn't understand why he kept coming back to find her.

She loved him with every fiber of her being, but she wasn't right for him. He deserved someone who always knew how amazing he was and would appreciate his ability to protect and love wholeheartedly. But Chloe was not that girl, could never be that girl. She missed her chance, and now she would pay the consequences.

Something suddenly pulled her from her thoughts, A scent. Something . . . familiar. It smelt like . . . like . . . like _him._

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	2. Chapter 2

A/N So sorry about the late updating. I've been so busy with dance and work lately, and saying farewell to a bunch of friends that are getting ready to leave for college. I got my first review today, and it did WONDERS in encouraging me to write some more. If you guys like what I write, I would love to hear it. If you don't like it, let me know, and tell me why. This way I can get some feedback and write the kind of things that you guys want to read. Anyway. Sorry it's short, I just really wanted to get this out!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. not even my car, that belongs to my dad.

Chloe shifted uncomfortably. She had sensed his presence before, but it had never affected her like this. Not since that last night on the rooftop when they had whispered their heartfelt goodbyes, he, not understanding that it was meant to be permanent. She felt a familiar ache in her heart. She would give anything to be near him, just to see him, touch him, hear his heartbeat. She was inexplicably drawn toward him and she couldn't bear this distance. She had to be near him. Now.

She crawled through the window of her studio apartment, shimmying up the fire escape towards the roof. She was closer to him. Chloe's senses were in overdriving trying to locate him. There. Three rooftops away, standing up straight, waiting for her.

She paused. She had two options; one, she could ignore these feelings and return to her room and sleep, or two; she could do what her body was telling her and sprint toward him with absolutely no inhibitions, throwing caution to the wind. She, naturally, did what any woman would do in her situation. She took off running toward the familiar shape.

Chloe stopped as she stood just 5 feet away from him. She had leapt over rooftops, defeated members of the order, but this? This was the most terrifying moment yet. She noticed first his jeans and leather jacket. Both new, but not ostentatious. It took all of her willpower to look into those beautiful brown eyes that she had left behind 3 years before. She expected to see reproach, possibly even disdain in them, but again, she was surprised.

Alek's eyes held nothing. Nothing, that is, except a glimmer of hope. A spark that said, maybe, just maybe, this time would be different.

To Alek, this moment was huge. She had never allowed him to _see_ her before, instead only allowing him to hear her steady heartbeat and breathe in the familiar scent. He drank her in hungrily. She had become more beautiful since he had last seen her as he knew she would. Her eyes were bright, and gazed back at him with something akin to trust. He couldn't believe it. She might be letting him in. He knew she was beginning to understand the bond that they shared, the bond that meant he would follow her to the ends of the Earth. This bond, created, because he was irretrievably and undoubtedly in love with her. He had loved her for so long, and he would never stop. Mai loved, they loved deeply, and they loved for life.

In that moment, Chloe's resolve left her. She began to feel weak by the thought of facing Alek again. She felt, in the span of two heartbeats, all the pain and anguish she had put him through in running away from him. Such was their bond. She knew, in those heartbeats, that they were bound by something strong. Something deeper than blood. Something blessed upon them by Bastset. Her heart ached in knowing the pain she caused Alek, and she understood his feelings so much more because of her gift as an empath. Chloe felt her knees begin to buckle.

"Chloe! Chloe!" Alek couldn't believe it, she was slipping, falling right in front of him. He leapt towards her and caught her before she could hit the ground. He held her close to him, cradling her head against his chest. She drank in his scent. She felt herself slipping, and surrendered herself into the darkness.

You know the drill, I love reviews! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, here's the third chapter :)

Chloe awoke to sunlight streaming through the window across her bedroom floor. True to her nature, she began to stretch as her grogginess faded. She paused when she felt an arm around her waist, firmly keeping her in place. She felt a warm presence shift behind her. And then she remembered what had happened the night before, and it all came crashing down on her. Alek. The rooftop. Her passing out from being too near him. She groaned inwardly as the figure behind her stirred.

"Good morning, Chloe. Glad to see you're awake," Alek breathed softly behind her.

"_Why, _Chloe thought, _Why did his voice have to sound so perfect, even in the morning?"_

Chloe hadn't felt so safe and comfortable in years. She felt a sense of belonging in his arms, a certain kind of peace that came only from his presence. She realized all that she had been missing those last years. She had missed him, a thought that had been forbidden for so long.

"Good morning to you too. How did you sleep?" Chloe asked, feeling almost nervous.

Alek chuckled softly, moving into a sitting position, but still staying close to Chloe. "Much better than I have in ages. In fact, I kept remember having ever slept that well. I guess this means any time I want to rest well I'll have to keep you nearby."

Chloe smiled, shoving him gently with her shoulder, but enjoying his sense of humor, even this early in the morning. But as much as she wanted to live in this moment forever, there were some things that needed to be said first.

"Alek, I-"

"Chloe, don't even finish that sentence," Alek warned. "I'm here, and I'm not going away. We both know what we felt last night, and there's no point trying to hid it." His eyes stared into her, begging her to let the past stay in the past. All that mattered now was that they were together.

"I know Alek, but there are some things I need to say first." Chloe paused, trying to gauge his reaction. He simply stared into her eyes, waiting for her to continue. "First, I want to apologize, for . . for pushing you away. For running away is more like it," she stammered, feeling the tears gathering in her eyes. She regretted so much, and if she'd only listened to him sooner, they could have both been happy all along.

"Chloe," Alek responded, "I don't care. I would have followed you through Hell and back, and I would've never given up on us. Do you remember that day during your transformation, in the hallway? I do. I remember fighting off every urge, then and there, to kiss you. If Jasmine hadn't stopped me, I probably would have. I knew, even then, that you were it for me. You were intoxicating, even your scent drew me in. That's what I meant when I told you that you smelt very good. I was drawn in from the beginning, and I was hooked, line and sinker. There were moments when I tried to forget about you, but I knew that was never going to happen. So instead, I had to wait until you were ready to accept me as what I am. Your mate, decided upon by Bastset, chosen for you as you were chosen for me."

Chloe felt her heart beat wildly, and she knew he could hear it too, and everything else she had planned to say didn't matter. She knew with every ounce of her soul that everything he said was true. Without a doubt, they were bonded. He was her protector and companion, just as she was his. No matter where they were in the world, they would always find each other.

"I love you," Chloe said. And she meant it. It took her years to be ready for those words, but here she was, telling him that she loved him.

Alek smiled and pulled her closer. "I love you too," he whispered, "more than you know."

Chloe snuggled closer, happy just to be close to him, breathing in his scent and sharing his warmth. No matter how long and painful the journey, it didn't matter. They were together now, and nothing would split them apart. They were mates, and had been for so long, even if she wasn't fully aware. They were bound, together, forever.

A/N I know it feels kind of abrupt for an ending, but it felt right when I wrote it. In reality, this could've been a long oneshot, but I liked having it broken up into three separate scenes. Anyway, I plan on posting an epilogue soon, just because I can't stay away from Chloe and Alek since they're so darn cute.


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